Explore 33 Interesting Facts about the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

If you are a pyramid junkie, test your knowledge with these 33 baffling facts about Egyptian pyramids!

Pyramids always remained a mystery to man. Even in 2018, we are discovering more about these ancient man made marvels. Much to surprise, with every discovery we are realizing that there is more to uncover than ever before!

Here’s the list of some of the most interesting pyramid facts that you might not know:

Ancient Air conditioner

Another interesting fact about these extraordinary structures is that despite the harsh fluctuating temperatures of day and night, the great pyramids maintain a constant inside temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. Say Hola to the mother of ancient air conditioning.

The Lightest 20-ton Swivel Door

There exists a total of 3 swivel doors in the pyramid of Giza. One of the enormous doors is a 20-ton swivel door in the great pyramid and is so well balanced that it can be opened from the inside with just one hand!

When it is closed, the fit is so perfect that it blends in with the wall, making an impression that it is not even there!

They Glittered Like Gold!

At the time of construction, these ancient Egyptian pyramids were covered with a well-polished casing of limestone. The limestone, when laid on the pyramids sparkled literally like diamonds when the sun would shine.

This shine made the structures visible from miles away.

Alignment with The Orion

The three pyramids of Giza are aligned exactly to be in line with the three stars of Orion belt. While creating a faithful mimicry of the Orion belt, the three pyramids of Giza actually point directly towards Orion’s belt.

Early Flat Pyramid

Did you know that there exist pyramids with flat tops!? YES, many of the early pyramids around the world were made with the top flat.

In fact, the first pyramid constructed by the Egyptians at the site of Saqqara around 4700 years ago, did not have triangular sides. It was the tomb of the Egyptian king, Djoser and had a flat roof, which led archaeologist to believe that the first ever pyramids were indeed flat.

Many similar pyramids from the past exist even today.

The Mastabas Purpose

Mastabas were tombs for the people who did not have high ranks and their tombs were built in special chambers inside pyramids. Historians believe that the only reason for the Mastaba tombs being around would be that the souls inside them may continue to serve the king in their afterlife.

The Hieroglyphics Mystery

Everyone associates hieroglyphics with pyramids. Although visitors won’t find hieroglyphics inscribed inside, in 2011, researchers found hieroglyphics inside the secret chamber of Giza pyramid with the help of a robot.

Burial Goods

Also known as Grave goods, Egyptians believe that Egypt was the best place God could have created for any human to live. They believed that once a person is dead, he/she enters a similar mirrored world like Egypt.

The only difference they imagined was the absence of grief or sorrow. They believed that one might need things in another life just like one need things when alive.

So they buried a body with necessities, and in case of kings in the Pyramids, they used to bury gold and other valuable commodities with the body.

All the precious artifacts found in pyramids are with Egyptian authorities.

Correlation with Pi

Researchers have proposed the idea that Pi might have been incorporated into the design of Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. John Taylor discovered that if one divides the perimeter of Pyramid by its height, the resultant value is equal to 2Pi.

He further suggested that Perhaps Great Pyramid was deliberated to represent the earth, the height is analogous to the radius joining center of the earth in the North Pole, and the perimeter is analogous to earth’s circumference at earth’s equator.

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